Outstanding Bicycle Pavilion in Sanya to House a Velodrome on its Roof

Bicycle Club, by NL Architects, in Sanya, the Netherlands. The Hainan Province is the smallest province of China. Just as its name says, the Hainan island (or the “South of the Sea”) is located in the southern part of the country, surrounded by the South China Sea. Hainan province, where it is summer all year round, is home to almost 9 million people and is known as the Eastern Hawaii. It is a popular destination due to its climate and features. Vanke, the largest residential real estate developer in the People’s Republic of China, teamed with Amsterdam-based firm NL Architects to develop in Sanya, Hainan, one of the most impressive bicycle pavilions for a great resort. Below: Check out the Presentation The bicycle pavilion is a totally functional reinterpretation of a pagoda The building requested by Vanke is located in Block 5, part of a resort development that consists of eight blocks of six stories for individual houses on top of a commercial ground floor with shops, restaurants, and bars. The bike pavilion is both a sport and leisure facility, with bike rental services and coffee shops to be accommodated in the new building.

The innovative design that allows bicycle enthusiasts to pedal on the roof, just like in a common velodrome, is a modern interpretation of the pagoda, maybe the most well known type of construction that dates from ancient China.

Bicycle Club. Image credit: NL Architects

On one hand, the oversized curved roof seems to float over a glass-enclosed coffee shop and restrooms on the ground floor. On the other hand, considering the tropical climate of Hainan and the never-ending summer, the protruding roof acts just like a marquise does, shading the facilities from the ground floor. The idea is an adequate modern answer to an old need. The elegant, oval space on the roof top is a strength for the resort, a healthy facility for the residents, and a tourist attraction. Bicycle club visitors can rent a bike and pedal for a slow ride around the island, return to the pavilion for refreshments and rest, then take a fast ride on the rooftop while enjoying the landscape. The resort also provides leisure and retail facilities, but the bicycle pavilion is the most attractive.

Bicycle Club. Image credit: NL Architects

Bicycle Club. Image credit: NL Architects

A virtuous circle shaped in a magnificent oval The bicycle club in Sanya is not only a way of spending time in a healthy manner and a place where people can meet and communities gather. It’s not only a bike rental service and a velodrome track. The bicycle club is all of these things and more — a major improvement for residents and an honest answer from the developer on the new standards of life. But most of all, the bike pavilion can become a symbol of the area, an easy recognizable brand the island can use to attract more residents and tourists and, with that, grow the economy. An outstanding project such as the bicycle club pavilion in Sanya is a virtuous circle of the community, local authorities, and tourists. Recommended Reading: